Iberdrola España,the Provincial Council of Bizkaia and GAIA Cluster launch Smart Grids Academy, a pioneering international platform for training smart grids' professionals

• This innovative initiative is part of the "Bizkaia with the talent" strategy and is promoted by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, Iberdrola España and the GAIA Cluster to respond to the urgent need for specialised profiles to tackle the digital and energy transition through electrification.

This morning, the Iberdrola Tower in Bilbao hosted the official presentation of the Smart Grids Academy (SGA) project, the first academy with an international vocation to train professionals in new digital skills, which aims to develop the specific talent required by the energy transition and the future of smart grids. The ambitious and innovative project is part of the strategy "Bizkaia with the talent" and is led by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia and the GAIA Cluster in collaboration with Iberdrola España. 

Smart Grids Academy responds to the urgent and important need for specialised professional profiles to address the digital and energy transformation because, as was pointed out today, "without smart grids there’s no energy transition, and without trained professionals, there won’t be any smart grids". Smart grids use digital technology to distribute electrical energy and are a key element in addressing the digital transition towards the decarbonization of the economy through electrification.

The SGA’s strategic objectives are to: 

• Contribute to the development and recruitment of digital talent by training professionals to contribute to the development and effective management of smart grids in a constantly evolving energy environment,
• Atrengthen the competitiveness of the ecosystem of companies, universities and research centres in the Basque Country, thanks to advanced knowledge about smart grids.
• Consolidate Bizkaia and the Basque Country as a world benchmark in smart grids, with the help of the collaborating institutions and the leadership of Iberdrola España as the driving force.

The presentation emphasised that the Smart Grid Academy is a living project and a community open to those entities, companies and institutions that want to train or participate in the dynamics of contribution and creation of experiences. The goal is for it to become an international benchmark place to work on smart grids.

This strategic initiative has also been highlighted as a good practice in public–private partnerships.

The need for specialised profiles is a priority for the Global Smart Grids Innovation Hub, an initiative launched in 2021 by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia and Iberdrola España, to anticipate the revolution in the sector and turn Bizkaia into a bellwether in innovation in smart grids and a territory that generates local talent with the capacity to attract international talent. The centre acts as a driving force for innovation, combining Iberdrola España's technological capacity with the more than 100 collaborating entities and companies.

The official presentation of the Smart Grids Academy, attended by more than a hundred professionals, was attended by the Deputy for Economic Promotion of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, Ainara Basurko, Asís Canales, Iberdrola's representative in the Basque Country and Global Director of People and Services of Iberdrola Group, the President of the GAIA Cluster, Elena Zarraga, Noemí Alonso, Head of Iberdrola's Global Smart Grids Innovation Hub, Begoña Peña-Lang, Director of the Smart Grids Academy project, and Tomás Iriondo, Managing Director of GAIA.

SGA stages and contents

The design of syllabuses and training programmes in smart grids is in its final stages, and SGA will start the pilot phase of its training activity will be in the first quarter of 2025 for companies in the sector, both manufacturers and service providers, as well as professionals who want to skill up in smart grids.

The training itineraries designed will combine classroom, online and practical methodology in the laboratories of Basque companies and technology centres, where students will be able to do internships and exercises. It also incorporates gamification and virtualised internships as a differentiating element, adapted to the content required for each profile. It also adds an innovative algorithmic model to guide and support professionals along their career plans, professional development and training trajectory.

They are training itineraries according to the skills and knowledge profile of the candidates and they may vary in duration and depth, as they are designed to cater to different experience levels and roles. The content includes academic aspects related to the architecture of smart grids, advanced metering and monitoring, grid communications, grid cybersecurity, data management and analysis, and regulations and standards.